The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-08-02
The Glenn Bill and Northern Pepors.


Some of the Republican and Mugwump
journals are very much exercised over the
| Glenn bin lately introduced into the Legis-
lature, which prohibits the education Of
white children in colorcd schools, and col
ored children in white schools. The Boston
Herald says that legislation Of this sort is
very small business and "hclps to justify
sectional arguments in the North and to re-
tard progress in the South The New York
Times thinks that it will check industrial
development and prevent the best class Of
Northern people from settling in Georgia.
The Boston Journal describes convict
camp and says that to such place would the
Georgia Legislature send teachers who teach
mixed schools.
Those journals, and others from which no
quotations are made, doubtless think that
they know all about the educational feature
Of the race question in the South, and are
sincere in expressing tho sentiments they
do. They ought not to forget, however,
that they cannot possibly be as well in
formed with regard to it asthe Southern
people who have to deal with it, They
should remember also that the white people
of the South feel very kindly toward the
colored people, and are willing to assist
them in improving their condition in every
possible way they can. They understand
that the colored people are in
the South to stay, and their purpose
is to maintain harmonious relations
between the two races. They have no
jealousy of the colored people and no dispo-
sition to obstruct their progress in any way.
Having studied the problem Of the educa-
ton of the races carefully, and that, too,
from a standpoint that afforded them every
advantage for gaining information, they
have reached the conclusion that it is better
for both races that they should be educated
separately.
There would not perhaps be any objection
to the presence of a few white children in
the Atlanta University, a colored school, if
it were certain no attempt would be made
elsewhere in the State to teach
the children of the two races
in the same school, but there is,
no doubt that If q mixed school were per-
United in Atlanta there would soon be de-
mand that the white and colored children
should be educated together in the public
schools. The Atlanta school would be a
sort of an entering wedge, and it would be
certain to eventually produce trouble that
would greatly impair, if not wholly destroy,
the public school system of the State.
Georgia now has good public school
system, and it is steadily being improved.
Its benefits are enjoyed by the black and
white alike The colored people have their
fair share of the school money, and their
schools are well conducted. They are not
finding any fault with the present condition
of affairs, and are not likely to. Why
then should the risk be run of destroying
the public shoots, in order that few white
teachers in the Atlanta university may
have the privilege of educating their
children in that school in defiance of public
sentiment!
The Boston Herald may call the legisla-
ton proposed by Representative Glenn,
'small business" if it likes, but that will not
lessen its Importance in the estimation of the
people of Georgia. The Herald sees only
race prejudice, which it thinks, of SO small
consequence that it can be overcome with
little or no effort The people of Georgia
know that mixed schools mean trouble, and
the ruin of the common schools The
Herald would rather have the satisfaction
of saying that it is above prejudice, than to
see the common schools of Georgia prosper
Gus The people of Georgia would rather
have the common schools, and see the two
races improving under their influence than
to have an agitation of the color line
question.
Condemnation of legislation prohibiting
mixed schools comes with very poor grace.
from Northern journals where, except in a
few localities, the white schools are not
open to colorcd children, although the col
ored children arc so few as TO be scarcely
noticeable. Let the North get rid of race
prejudice ami then Northern journals can,
with more consistency, condemn race preju-
dice in the South. For the present Georgia
will legislate on matters relating to the
white and black races in the way which
seems to her to be the wisest